Three day SWR train strike to hit Reading commuters

More strikes are set to hit South Western Railway passengers. Credit: Simon Galloway 2017

Reading's long-suffering train passengers face more delays thanks to a three day strike as a row over guards continues.

South Western Railway (SWR), which provides services between Reading, Berkshire, and London Waterloo, and National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) are still locked in a row over guards on trains.

As a result, staff have called a three day strike starting on Friday, August 31.

Passengers travelling from Wokingham, Bracknell and Ascot could also see services affected.

The train company says around two thirds of services will be available on August 31, with around half running over the weekend between Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2.

To cope with the strike, the company will provide replacement buses and has arranged for tickets to be used on other firms' services.

Statements released by the two parties strongly suggest a resolution to the row is not imminent.

A SWR spokesman said: "The RMT executive’s answer to every question is strike - they need to start accepting that the railway is modernising and that their members can play a key part in that future if only they stop calling for action and work with us to deliver a better railway for our customers."

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"This decision is totally unnecessary and pointless – we cannot make it any clearer that our plans mean more not fewer guards, we have guaranteed to roster a second person on all our trains and we have guaranteed terms and conditions."

However RMT general secretary Mick Cash hit back, saying: “RMT is angry and frustrated that the company’s cavalier and contemptuous approach to talks leaves us no option but to continue our programme of industrial action.

"We know that passengers will share that anger.

"There will be serious disruption throughout this weekend and the responsibility for that lays squarely with SWR and their Hong Kong and Aberdeen based paymasters who appear to have no interest in negotiating a settlement.

"South Western Railway need to do the right thing and come to an agreement that secures a guard on their trains too.

“SWR seem to think they can treat the union and their staff with utter contempt.

"They need to change that attitude, get serious and put a team in place that can talk with us with authority on the safety, security and access issues at the heart of this dispute.”